350 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



December 



children. Six attractive pictures illustrate 

 the text. 



Among the other illustrations are: a live- 

 ly description of winter fishing; through the 

 ice, by J. Herbert Welch ; a short account 

 of the great emotional actress, Eleanora 

 Duse, by Arthur Hornblow ; and au inter- 

 esting symposium of comments upon 

 " Christmas Customs in Several Lands," by 

 prominent people who know them from per- 

 sonal experience. " Deacon Simpson's 

 Trip," by Kate Erskine, is a charming con- 

 tribution to the fiction of the number, and 

 " The Fatal Knot-hole," the story in " Our 

 Girl's " department, has a touch of pathos 

 that will appeal to every one. 



The departments are good as usual, and 

 contain useful suggestions for Christmas 

 presents, for the furnishing of dining-room, 

 and other practical matters pertaining to 

 dress, fashion, health and the household. 



TRY IT AND SEE. 



Whatever may be said about the publica- 

 tions of Rev. Irl R. 13icks by those who do 

 not fully understand the facts, there is no 

 denying the truth that his paper and Alma- 

 nac have come to stay. His splendid jour- 

 nal. Word and Works, is now entering its 

 tenth year, largely increased in circulation 

 and in every way improved, until it deserves 

 the national reputation it has attained. His 

 1897 Almanac is now ready and is by far 

 the linest and most beautiful he has yet is- 

 sued. It contains 108 pages, including cover 

 artistically printed in colors, and is filled 

 from back to back with just what is wanted 

 in every shop, office and home in Amei'ica. 

 One fearure of the Almanac for 1897 is a 

 series of 12 original, beautifully engraved 

 star maps, with explanitory chapters, which 

 could not be bought for less than five dol- 

 lars in any work on astronomy. As Mr. 

 Hicks has so correctly and faithfully warn- 

 ed the public of coming drouths, floods, cold 

 waves, blizzards, tornadoes and cyclones, in 

 the years passed, aside from the other vari- 

 ed and splendid features of his paper and 

 Almanac, these considerations alone should 

 prompt every family to subscribe at once 

 for 1897. The Almanac is only 25 cents a 

 copy. Word and Works is one dollar a 

 year, and a c :)py of the fine Almanac goes 

 as a premium with every yearly subscrip- 

 tion. Write to Word and Works Publish- 

 ing Co., St. Louis, Mo. 



The First Coaches. 



In the fiftnenth century coaches ap- 

 pear to have been used iu processions 

 or other public ceremouies, more as au 

 ornameut than anything else, if we may 

 judge from the clumsy form of the ve- 

 hicle. The entrance of the Embassador 

 Trevasi into Mantua iu a carriage is 

 noticed as early as the year 1433, and 

 that of Frederick IH into Frankfort in 

 a covered coach iu the year 1475. It is 

 a curious contrast to the rapidity with 

 which new iuveutious are now adopted 

 that nearly a century elapsed before 

 the covered carriage was introduced 

 into England. Stow, iu his Chronicle, 

 iu the year 1555 meutious the iu- 

 troductiou in these terms: "This year 

 Walter Ripou made a coach for the 

 Earle of Rutland, which was the first 

 coach (saith he) that ever was made iu 

 England. Since — to wit, iu anno 1564 

 — the said Walter Ripon made the first 

 hollow turning coach, with pillers and 

 arches, for her majestie, being then her 

 servant. 



"Also, in anno 1584, a chariot throne, 

 with foure pillers behind to beare a 

 cauopie with a crowne imperiall on the 

 toppe, and before two lower pillers, 

 whereon stood a lion and a dragon the 

 supporters of the armes of England. " 



The sailors of the time of Good Queen 

 Bess must have found it a difficult mat- 

 ter to obtain berths on a coach for their 

 cruise on shore. Even her majesty, 

 though she herself drove to St. Paul's 

 cathedral to returu thanks for the de- 

 livery of her kingdom from the Spanish 

 armada, was accompanied by the privy 

 council and her attendants, who rode 

 on horseback. But by the end of the 

 reign coaches and carriages became sud- 

 denly popular. — Fireside Magazine. 



Not His. 



"Hello! Is this your bank?" said 

 Dinwiddle to Van Braam, who was 

 making out a deposit slip at a desk in 

 a Fifth avenue banking establishment. 



"No," replied Van Braam. "This 

 isn't my bank. " 



Dinwiddle seemed surprised, for he 

 could see Van Braam's bankbook, with 

 several checks and some mongy, when 

 the latter added: 



"No, it is not my bank. I wish it 

 Ivere. I am merely a depositor here. " — 

 I'ittsburg Chronicle. 



